The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is asking people to use caution on the roads as new snow accumulations Monday along with low temperatures overnight are likely to make driving conditions hazardous.
Public Information Officer Keith Todd said crews have been working 14 to 16-hour shifts to keep up with the icy roads, but the below freezing temperatures will bring a halt to much of their road clearing activities.
“Once you get below about fifteen-degrees, our salt and other ice-fighting chemicals lose their potency. They just kind of become inert and so we don’t get a lot of help from those until we get back up into the mid-teens,” said Todd.
Todd said getting caught in cold temperatures can be life-threatening and that drivers need to be prepared for drifting conditions in the evenings. He advises drivers bring extra clothes and blankets, a fully charged mobile phone and an emergency kit.
Whenever possible, individual county crews will keep a small crew available during overnight hours to respond to emergencies and assist police agencies when needed.
The KYTC is asking people to continue using caution while driving during the morning hours. Road crews will be back to full-staffing Tuesday morning to resume snow and ice-fighting efforts.
Crews also request that drivers turn their headlights on during daylight hours to help the visibility of other motorists. State law requires headlights to be turned on when it is raining or snowing enough to require the use of windshield wipers.
